Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) — How It Works and What Are the Benefits?

The lei number is a 20-digit, alpha-numeric code that identifies authorized entities collaborating in monetary transactions. Each LEI is unique and comprises reference information that enables simple and fast identification of an entity. As a global commonplace (based mostly on ISO 17442), all LEI data is brazenly published and accessible to all.

While corporations often have business registration numbers within the country they are formed in, an LEI is a global normal designed for more seamless cross-border transactions. Enterprise registration requirements will differ in accordance the country, however the LEI format is similar across the globe.

While the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (the inspiration tasked by the Financial Stability Board to operate the LEI system) was only established in 2014, there are already quite a few laws for having an LEI when conducting monetary transactions.

For instance, MiFID II — the EU directive for quite a few trading compliance activities — calls for each monetary trade to have an LEI (or a natural person identifier, if it’s an individual). While the directive got here into impact on January 3, 2018 the ESMA issued a six-month short-term reprieve on full LEI requirements, in cases where the consumer is in process of buying an LEI, or the place the shopper is a non-EU issuer.

It’s up to every totally different regulator in every country to determine how they will adopt the LEI standard. Already, there are 75 completely different regulations in jurisdictions around the globe that require LEI. An extra forty two laws request LEI, while six international regulatory bodies recommend LEI on a national or regional level.

LEI Registration

For companies requiring an LEI, the process is pretty simple: firms contact an LEI issuing group, present the mandatory info, and pay the appropriate fees. The issuing organization then checks the data towards an authoritative source, similar to a enterprise register, and if everything checks out, you get your LEI.

As global business and third-party relationships turns into more complex, the necessity for clear and speedy business identification grows. Widespread standards, like LEI, enable higher identification and better information sharing, helping to lower prices and speed up business processes. Of course, appropriate due diligence remains to be mandatory; one number received’t magically solve all Know Your Enterprise (KYB) requirements. But, as an added knowledge point and additional check to ensure you can belief your business relationships, LEI is one other useful tool for international enterprise growth.